Overview of Belmont Castle

A fine white-harled mansion set in pleasant parkland a half-mile (0.8 km) south of Meigle in Perth and Kinross, Belmont Castle now serves as a retirement and care home run by the Church of Scotland. The castellated mansion is built around a 15th C. tower-house, which was of three storeys and a garret within a parapet, but is now augmented with a clock-tower. The tower was once a residence of the Bishops of Dunkeld, but passed to the Nairns of Dunsinane. In the 17th century the property was acquired by the notorious Sir George Mackenzie of Rosehaugh (1636-91) and it was his descendant the Hon. James Stuart Mackenzie who built the current house in the late 18th century. The property passed by marriage to the Lords (later Earls of) Wharncliffe and then to Sir Henry Campbell-Bannerman (1836 - 1908), Liberal Prime Minister of Britain from 1905-08. Thereafter the house was bought by Dundee jute baron Sir James Caird (1837 - 1916) whose family presented it to Dundee Corporation in 1918. Leased by the Church of Scotland, it was opened as a retirement and holiday home for men convalescing from illness by HM Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother (1900 - 2002; then the Duchess of York) on 19th September 1931. Her Majesty returned to Belmont on the occasion of its Golden Jubilee in 1981, planting a crab-apple tree opposite the front door. In 2006, Belmont celebrated 75 years of care, the longest serving Eventide Home run by the Church.

According to legend, Macbeth made his last stand here and a large cup-and-ring marked stone, known as Macbeth's Stone, lies at west entrance to the estate.